may 2019

there's a new breed of inclusive gyms in town

Our gym was featured in a trendy Refinery29 article about inclusive and body positive gyms. We were included because of the safe fitness space we offer for women.

Our women only gym and fitness classes look at health and wellbeing holistically & work alongside the goals and visions of our Charity. The exclusionary marketing of many gyms and the intimidating huddle of bros in weight areas has lead to a new wave of gyms and fitness phenomena, which includes us (!) alongside the countless other rebel groups working across the City.

mar 2019

the woman’s guide to London

We were chuffed to be included in the Conde Naste Traveller’s digital magazine this month. Ranked in their top 10, we were listed alongside all-female swimming ponds and creative collectives for professionals. The list included a host of initiatives that are creating cool and inclusive spaces for women in the capital, and we are proud to be one of them.

nov 2018

smashing records radio

Sylvia (Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator), Dede (Health and Wellbeing Manager) and Mariza (SWAP graduate) from The Bridge were interviewed by Abs for the Smashing Records show on Resonance Radio.

The Smashing Records show is a series marking Disability History Month. Abs Tripp from DASL discusses how music fires people up to jump higher, ride further and shout louder.

Sylvia, Dede and Mariza talk about The Bridge’s health and wellbeing programmes and discuss their experiences of inclusive health and fitness. No vinyl will be harmed in the making of this show.

Sarah is keen to point out that the Bridge isn’t solely focused on providing a male-free space, but also uplifting women and creating positive change within communities.

— Laura, Blog author

nov 2018

sisters are doin' it for themselves

The Bridge’s Operations Manager, Sarah, was interviewed for a blog post about women only spaces. Stories of sexual harassment and women’s unequal experiences in society and “space” are rife in the media, but Laura’s blog highlights the detachment that people can feel from the issue.

While women-only spaces are few and far between in the UK, Laura was looking into their existence and exploring newly emerging spaces, such as women only festivals in Sweden.

Check out the “sisters are doin’ it for themselves: banning boys and the rise of female-only festivals” blog post here.

NB. Some opinions in this blog post were personal to Sarah’s own experiences.

sept 2018

health inequalities

Public Health England have published their most extensive report on the current and future health of the country to date. Research shows that women’s health in the UK is faring worse than their European counterparts (ranked 18th lowest out of 28 EU member states for premature death).

The research also showed the vast health inequalities in the UK, with those living in economically deprived areas suffering from poorer health. Many of the health burdens in the report could be alleviated with lifestyle and behavioural changes.

Channel 5 News visited The Bridge and spoke with our Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator, the Health and Wellbeing team and members of our women only gym to further understand the impact of these health inequalities at a community level.

sept 2018

community air quality

The Bridge is one of ten local businesses to take part in a waste micro-consolidation scheme developed by BID leaders, Better Bankside. Running from April to November 2018, the pilot programme aims to reduce congestion in Bankside and help improve local air quality by reducing the number of waste vehicles on the roads.

Sarah Hicks, Operations Manager, was interviewed by BBC London News to give insight into being part of the scheme and the positive impact it is having in the area.

The risks associated with poor air quality is a very real threat to the health of Londoners. The Bridge aims to advocate and lead the way in improving the environment for the health of people living, working and visiting the area.

it’s about looking at the local, very local, area around here, trying to reduce traffic and congestion for people

— Sarah Hicks, Operations Manager

aug 2018

healthy weight training

More than 6 in 10 adults on the streets of Southwark are overweight or have obesity. The Southwark Health and Wellbeing Board have prioritised tackling obesity across the borough.

As part of this commitment, The College of Contemporary Health has developed a healthy weight training course with the aim of improving the knowledge about obesity and the efficiently of the referral pathways across Southwark. We volunteered our time to the training videos.